Lullaby
by Blase Contradiction
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a young girl and boy. The girl sang a lullaby while the boy saw a demon in his reflection. Their world was threatened by a demon-dragon. Once upon a time, the girl sang a lullaby to the stars. For rainypromise


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This is dedicated to

rainypromise

God

Thanks for the tales you shared

and the inspiration you gave me

Thank you for all you've done for me

I can't say thank you enough

Yours Truly,

Blase Contradiction

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_Once upon a time, there lived a girl and a boy. The boy looked into the clear waters to see a monster looking back. The girl saw a handsome prince, ready to sweep her off her feet. Once upon a time, there lived a dark demon. He sought to seperate the girl and her prince. Once upon a time, the girl sang a lullaby and the boy defeated the demon-dragon. Once upon a time, stars shone down and lit up the world..._

_This is their tale to tell..._

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Lullaby

_**The wind sweeps the grass,  
**__**The world is in its silence.  
**__**I am forever with you,  
**__**The greatest gift of Life.**_

The evil face of the mask-clad man was bursting with dark smiles.

He'd brought her here for the sole purpose of scaring her, showing her the cruelties of the world, what it was capable of. What people jaded as Natsume and her knew. The dreary lighting in the room was depressing in itself, gray shafts of murky light dancing in the atmosphere. The silhouettes of their bodies moved elegantly on the sliding paper door. He was so sure he'd succeed this time, his plan in perfect placement and her faith in him seemed to be wavering. Time and again, he'd failed as the sunshine withheld and the night continued to waning.

As he held her head up, grasping a handful of auburn curls in his fist, dragging her up to see what her most beloved truly was. A murderer. The ferocity of every kick and punch, every spark of Alice Fire was hauntingly beautiful and disastrously fatal. He thought she'd be hysterical with fear by now, watching the one she cared about the most, killing those who threatened their way of life. She'd be frightened by these acts of evil and darkness, committed in front of her who was so innocent and bright.

He'd specifically told Natsume he wanted nothing but the enemy's charred ashes to remain when he was finished. Not a drop of blood, only the haunting memory of perishing screams and deadly echoes lingering in this place. Why? Because he'd planned this night for her sweet undoing. Then, he heard her silent whisper, the words he couldn't hear exactly but it seemed to be full of fear. He smiled evilly.

He'd won!

* * *

"Lord, pray for his soul," she chanted softly. The deliverance from damnation was the one thing they were taught at church that was certain. She went weekly now, always praying for his sake, though he'd cuff her head and tell her it wasn't of any use; he always sure that he'd end up in hell when he died one day. She couldn't stand that thought, always crumbling to tears when he told her that. Mighty as he was, God wouldn't bring back all the years he's lost to servitude. "I ask that you spare our souls, bring us back from the brink of hell." She heard that man scoff.

"That impudent God of yours is a hypocrite," he said into her ear. She could small the feral breath of his, the scent of decomposing flesh. Carrion creature! The malicious smell of his, full of evil. "He claims in that holy book of nothing that he will deliver you from evil, save your dying souls, help you, love you. I say he is a liar, the biggest sinner that has ever walked this age. If he loved you, why isn't he here to save you from me, a heretic? If he's promised, why hasn't he given you the rewards you are entitled to when you've done nothing but good in your life? Tell me, Sakura. What has he done to you that hasn't caused you grief all your life?"

"He gave me Natsume," she said to him. She looked at him and let a single silver tear fall from her face as she smiled fondly. "Sure, it's true, he put me through hell. He's made me lose Azumi-san to Reo, the death of Jii-chan…separated me and Hotaru all those years ago for six months...let Penguin-chan and Nobara-chan die with his not being there…but he gave me someone so important to me, that all that pain doesn't matter anymore. Natsume has always been a blessing to me for as long as I could remember. So, even if…I lost many people precious to me…I will always have Natsume, Ruka-pyon, Hotaru-chan-sama…and with that, all debts have been paid in full. He owes nothing to me."

"You're a fool if I ever saw one, Sakura." He pulled harder on her hair so she was barely kneeling and she was forced to look into the screen where the scene of chaos took place. She saw the flames devour the people, his intention in his eyes clearly. "Is there any real hope for this black sheep? This Judas? No, there isn't. Do you understand why? He is cursed. Why do you continue after him like a lost puppy?"

"Because…no matter what, I know that he is not cursed with being a monster…but being in association with you. Therein lies his curse. The fact that he can't escape from under your thumb."

"You insolent witch," he snarled, still smiling. "Just give up on him! And he'll be fine, you'll be happy. Just stay away from him and all your friends' and your happiness will be guaranteed." He flung me and she felt the iron of the door connect with her back, bringing with it an ache in the lower parts of her back.

Even then, she mustered the strength to smile weakly at him, the wretched cockroach he was. "Go to hell."

Then, the doors to the warehouse yard opened…and Alice Fire lit the room.

* * *

What could be said? The sight of Mikan lying sprawled on the ground with her blood splattered across her face was enough to get his blood boiling, tired as he was. What had occurred between these two people, the hated and the beloved, when he was out? He turned to where a monitor said innocently in a corner, the image of the bloody ground he had just left. Persona smirked as he put two and two together. He'd shown her. Damn it, he'd shown her!

"What have you done, you bastard?!" he demanded. Alice Fire lit freely in his hand as his rage ignited.

"Simple," he said oily. "She was in my way, I got rid of her. Are you going to stop me? She's mine to play with."

"You'll never have her, bastard!"

"On the contrary, Natsume-chan," he said slimily. "I have both of you. I've had enough of your amateur attempts of escaping from me. You know better than anyone here that once you are part of my defense line, you will be part of it forever until I say otherwise. So…what do you have to say to that?"

"I say…go to hell."

"Odd…she also said that."

"So be a good little dark bastard and do what we say," he spat. Natsume sent a torrent of blue Hell's fire at the teacher. He was depleted of energy. The mission earlier and the blast was fast draining away his consciousness. He panted, sweat beads trailing down his face. He looked up as Persona stood not so far away, barely a scratch on him. He dusted his black sleeves and tsked.

"Did I really teach you to have such bad aim?" he chastised.

Natsume let the thoughts of defeat overflow in his mind. He closed his eyes. Mikan was going to die and he was going to be permanently working for this Academy. As his hope dwindled away to the wind, he felt a slight tap of skin on skin. He opened his eyes and saw himself looking into hazel-green eyes he treasured more than life. He smiled that sad smile he'd adopted lately.

"Giving up really isn't an option now," she whispered with a soft smile. She continued in her sotto voice. "We can get rid of him once and for all. And maybe…even if we don't survive…everyone else will have a chance right?"

"You're an idiot, Sakura," he whispered back, resting his forehead on hers. They were both spent, the burns and bruises that would heal but forever mar their skin and memories. "But I guess I gotta spend the rest of eternity with you or else you might fall down and not get up."

"Yup," she agreed. "You're stuck with me Hyuuga."

"Let's do this." He placed his hand in hers as Alice Fire spun a web of flames around their hands in a bond of trust. Her hand glowed the golden hue of Akira Tonouchi's Amplification Alice. "Ready, baka?"

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"You know…I never really cared about what you were," she told him suddenly, just as the flames danced around their forms. "They said you were a monster. That you'd lost your emotions in the making of your warrior. I never really cared. Even you are a demon as they said…I would always trust you. I love you…always."

"Baka," he whispered as he pressed his lips against hers. The sparks of flame small and weak grew to a tsunami of heated air. The red and gold of the dancing was ten times the power of the hell fire and full of the love they shared. Maybe they'd never have that future they wanted and all…but they'd have each other.

* * *

The remaining strains of past lullabies paraded around the atmosphere. The fire that had destroyed Persona was gone, the sea that had devoured him only few flames left. The sweet echoes of peace was all that was heard to the ears of the sleeping. The form of a sixteen year old boy was sprawled over the ground as his chest rose and dipped in the synchronized beat of breath.

The girl whose lap cushioned his head hummed a little. The charred remains of her hand was of little consequence when she looked at the life she'd saved. Her humming became singing, sweet and worthy of angels. "_The wind sweeps the grass, the world is in its silence. I am forever with you, the greatest gift of Life," _she sang. "_Demons and angels take no heed. The feverish pitch of the late night's sonata. Greatest gifts of Death are those of Life, in turn the starry skies shine."_

The gifts of Death rained down upon them in torrents of light.

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**_Once upon a time, the girl and boy fell asleep next to each other  
Once upon a time, the boy discovered his true value and kissed the girl-princess.  
Once upon a time, a dragon-demon was slayed.  
Once upon a time, the stars sang a lullaby..._**

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Author's Note:  
I honestly have no clue where this story originated from. I think it had something to do with a demon and a girl...anyway...i think this is crap but show your indifference to what I think (if you have it) and review it!! please! anyway, god bless you! oh yeah, Hemorhage is entering the middle and about nine chaps and an epilogue on the way, along with a sequel planned! oooo...read my fictionpress stuff too! haha...links are in my profile...cya!

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